Wednesday, September 12, 2012

January 21, 1853--Sophia Sherwood (TIP #1)


Sophia Sherwood
Photo by Suzanne Grundberg
Find a Grave Memorial #55913144
Angola Cemetery

As with all tombstones there is always a story to be told by those left behind.  When Stephen Sherwood's wife,  Sophia Parker Sherwood, died, Jan 21, 1853, she left five boys under the age of thirteen.  She died two weeks after giving birth to her youngest son, John F. Sherwood, at the age of 39.  
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This tombstone was posted at findagrave.com,  There are over 87 million entries on this site.  I have solved many genealogy problems and even broken down brick walls by using this resource.  I would highly recommend it.

LOOK UP THIS MEMORIAL USING NUMBER 55913144 ON findagrave.com.  YOU WILL FIND  MORE INFORMATION ON THE STEPHEN SHERWOOD FAMILY.

  • Go to:                                           findagrave.com (& "Search 87 million grave records")  
  • In the space for Memorial enter:       55913144--you will see Sophia Parker Sherwood 
  • Double click under Family Links:      Stephen Sherwood    findagrave.com

This will list many of his children which you can click to find out more. 
You may want to search for your family names on this site.
If you like,  e-mail me at yship@aol.com or post a comment on this page about Tip #1.  

Grant Davis
yship@aol.com

June 26, 1852--James Vokes Note to Stephen Sherwood


Tuesday's Tip--Sharing Information-"Trails in the Snow"




Crossing Paths
ww.photos-public-domain.com
(search "Trails in the Snow")
The transfer of land from Erasmus D. Walrod and an agreement from James Vokes were published on my blog November 20, 2012.


I notified Larry Wassman who had submitted Erasmus D. Walrod and Keith Reeves who had submitted James Vokes to their family trees in ancestry.com that I had documents written by their ancestors which I had posted on this blog.  I later received responses from them on ancestry.com.  These documents were in the papers of my great great grandfather, Stephen Sherwood.


Larry Wassman of Lacey, Washington wrote he (Erasmus D. Walrod) was "not very close-- brother-in-law of 4th cousin 5x removed."  



The second e-mail was from Keith Reeves of Arlington Virginia.  He wrote a lengthy letter about his ancestry.  I will quote three sentences.

"James (Vokes) was my fourth great grandfather, directly descended....... Are preparing to gather around the Thanksgiving table at the beach house we annually frequent here in Dewey Beach, Virginia.  It's lovely and I'm so glad to write about family on such a wonderful family day."    

These responses made me realize once again we all have family information that can help somebody else.  I am thankful for all those who have contributed to my research endeavors, and hope that somebody can benefit from the information I have.

I responded to Keith Reeves, "Our ancestors crossed paths at one time, but just in a different way than we did today."  The photo above reminded me how that happens.





November 6, 1850 (Census)--Stephen Sherwood @ South Fork of American River--1850 Census

In 1850, Stephen Sherwood (#3) was a miner on the South Fork of the American River in El Dorado County, California.    He was close to Coloma where gold was originally discovered in 1848.  

July 31, 1851--Stephen probably left California on the ship "Oregon."  Stephen was not listed on the 1852 Census in California (so he had left by that time).  

January 6, 1853--John F. Sherwood son of Stephen and Sophia Sherwood born
January 21, 1853--Sophia Parker Sherwood died.  She was buried in Antioch, Lake, Illinois.  His first wife, Maria Hubbell, had died January 19, 1839.  Sophia and Stephen had five boys under thirteen years of age (Oren, William, Wellington, Daniel and John).
September 24, 1853--Stephen married to eighteen year old Elizabeth Denick for this third wife.  She is twenty three years younger than Stephen, the oldest daughter of Laura Denick. 
August 24, 1854--Birth of Lewis B Sherwood 
January 10, 1857--Stephen's son, Henry (a son from Stephen's first wife Maria Hubbell) married  Sarah Denick, the second daughter of Laura Denick.  Sarah was a teacher in the local school.
September 11, 1858--George W. Sherwood, the youngest son of Stephen and Maria Hubbell Sherwood, died.  This son may have been in California in 1853 (see letter of October 6, 1853).    After he died, another son would be named for him born in 1863.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

March 1, 1850--Stephen to Sophia Sherwood (Part 1 of 2)



Stephen arrived at the San Francisco Harbor
February 25, 1850






(Part 1 of 2)
Sacrament March 1, 1850

Dear Wife i in good health take my pen in hand this Evning to rite you   i was Deprived the privilege at the isthmus on account of mr Fergeson leaving so quick   we had a pretty hard trip   we landed at San Francisco on February 25   i Did not rite be fore Since I arivd I want ed to find York and Ingarsalls fokes  I can not find them a toll in narry (?) citty   i found Kimball   he is well   we start tomorrow morning for the mines   the prospects for mining is a good (?) here as at home but all bisness is over _____  in the sittes th (are?) thousands without a Dollar and we shant have per haps a Dollar left when in the mine (go to part 2 of this letter)



Quote from an article published in Sacramento, California April 1, 1850.  Perhaps this reflected the thinking of Stephen Sherwood at this time.

"The Middle Fork is now easy of access..........I find tht a great many persons are packing up provisions to supply the miners.  The Dry Diggings between the North and Middle Forks I think will prove richer than any yet discovered.........If my health permits me to remain in the mines my course is marked out.  I  shall go up the Middle Fork as far as I can get and work on the river until the very hot weather drives me off.  I shall then go up to the dry digging and prepare ground for a winter's work, throwing up as much as I can."















March 1, 1850--Stephen to Sophia Sherwood--(Part 2 of 2)


Sacramento (before flood)



Sacramento, California, January 1850
Sacramento had a  flood in January of 1850 which devastated the commercial operations on the embarcadero.  In March, after Stephen Sherwood arrived, there was another flood, but not as serious  as levees and dams had been built by that time.   In October of 1850,  Sacramento had an outbreak of the cholera which caused about eighty percent of the population to leave the city, and  the death of seventeen of the physicians.  (Wikipedia)


(Part 2 of 2)
Mr Fergeson  probly has told you all a bout the Calofornia prises  as yet i could not in vite any wane to come to this country  my pen cant Describe the sufring I have seen sene since i started from home  there was 3 Died on the ship and a grate many sick with out a Dollar   give my best respects to all inquiring friends  give my love to all the children  i Endever to remember you all Daly by my prayers and i trust i am a subject of your prayers   be fath full and we shall reape if we fant not   give my respects to misses Fergeson & children brother Engleman(?) and family Do the best(?)    yes (?) i can rite to Sutters Mill on the account of the post office being ____   it may be  3 or 4 (?) months be fore you get another letter   i sopose(?)  you have writ (?) a grate many times (?) before you have got this
Latt and Harmann (??)  is with me      S. Sherwood

Monday, September 10, 2012

July 31, 1839--Marriage Certificate of Stephen Sherwood and Sophah Parker



Marriage Certificate of Stephen Sherwood and Sophah Parker
Note:  Stephen Sherwood and Sophah (Sophia) were married by Elder B Ashley in the First Baptist Church (Division and Lockport Street in Plainfield, Illinois) July 31, 1839.  The meeting house (as it was called then) was dedicated November 23, 1836.  Elder Ashley succeeded Elder J E Ambrose who had come there first in August of 1834.